BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:25 P.M.) – During a House Armed Services briefing, Pentagon officials were asked to comment on the recent move by the Russian Federation to supply Syria with the S-300 air defense system.
The Deputy Director of the Joint Staff, Brigadier General Scott Benedict said that this move create “unstable conditions” inside of Syria.
“The introduction of more of these systems only serves to create more unstable conditions and the likelihood of miscalculation such as which we tragically saw earlier in the week with the Russian plane being shot down by the Syrians,” Benedict said, speaking to US lawmakers on Wednesday.
“My greatest concern is that the more things we’re putting in to this small area, particularly as we’re starting to close in on the north part of Syria, the more dangerous the entire situation becomes because of the instability,” the officer added.
The Russian Federation made the decision to supply the Syrian military with the S-300 system after the downing of the IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Latakia on Monday, September 17th.
Despite Israel’s claims that the Syrian military was to blame, the Russian Ministry of Defense held the former responsible for the IL-20’s subsequent demise early last week.
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